The "North Korea Watch 2013" Update Thread

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He wouldn't start a war with the USA, he would lose. He knows it.
North Korea's only real ally is China and even they voted for the sanctions imposed against NK.
Kim attacking South Korea is far more likely but that would rapidly descend into a "tit-for-tat" exchange yielding little fruit at the expense of lives.

Reply 341

geetar

I've got my Swiss Army Knife ready, bring it on.

Reply 342

nikkoch

The two options I see at the moment are:
1. NK continues with threats but sees sense and doesn't take provocations too far, ie capture England, Germany, Russia's (et cetera) ambassadors
2. NK captures ambassadors aswell as provoking America to start war, with other countries joining in for various reasons, starting WW3 (the very pessimistic option)

Fun times hey!!! :biggrin:

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Reply 343

NabRoh

Anyone who thinks that North Korea has the fire power to launch nuclear missiles all the way to USA needs to rethink aerodynamics.

Reply 344

silverbolt

Original post by TheMagicRat

Yeah, I don't know why anyone here is proposing some crazy attack on North Korea as a whole. It is only the regime we don't like. We won't use nuclear weapons on an innocent civilian population. Our problem isn't with them at all.

Erm actually America has done - twice.

Reply 345

Type 052D

Original post by HumanSupremacist

But having gotten past such a barrier, a united Korea would be a massively successful state - South Korea is already the 12th largest economy and is already greatly successful.

An united Korea with an population of 80 million and having the Technological/Industrial output of S.Korea and the raw resources of the North Korea will give the Japanese and Chinese government heart attack! Although the Japanese are an US ally in the Pacific area, they would not like an strong unified Korea that can bargain for the Dokdo Islands in the Sea of Japan.

Reply 346

silverbolt

Original post by CelticSymphony67

I'm disputing the fact that NK are in a time warp, but to simply dismiss them is foolish. If they were running around the Korean Peninsula with Bow and Arrows, then fair enough, but they are not. There weapons may well be a bit outdated, but they can still do a great deal of damage, and the NK troops will outnumber the US 2 to 1.

If it did come to war, the Americans wont go in and recreate the Gettysburg or Somme with thousands of troops either side, they would obliterate them from the air and then send in ground troops in vehicles and with heavy support to mop up the rest.

Also i doubt that a nuke would even get half way there before the US or the SK brought it down

Reply 347

TheMagicRat

Original post by silverbolt

Erm actually America has done - twice.

I knew someone was going to say that. I'd be very surprised if they did in this day and age and I'd be even more surprised if they did in North Korea.

Reply 348

pink pineapple

Original post by nikkoch

Posted from TSR Mobile

Tbh, I very much doubt it will be WW3

Reply 349

Type 052D

Original post by silverbolt

I agree this statement. The USA would use over 50 F-15E strike egeals to find and destroy all the Scud-C detrative NK missiles under an hour. Over 300 Tomahawks from the Ohio SSNB, LA attack sub, and the present Virginia class attack submarines will destroy the NK military command structure from the General staff building to the Infantry barracks. The Allied forces would have an superior C14 link system that gives top down commands from Staff Sargent to the 5 star General.

Reply 350

Patriot Rich

Original post by nikkoch

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There's no suggestion North Korea will capture ambassadors, they've merely said they can't guarantee their safety. It's just more threats of war.

If North Korea did take foreigners hostage then it would be the final straw for the USA and allies. Making the same old vague threats against their ally South Korea is one thing, threatening foreign citizens is another. I expect China wouldn't be very impressed either that might be the final kick to their rapidly decaying alliance. Without China North Korea has no fuel or food (with its only other source of food aid being the USA...).

Reply 351

CelticSymphony67

Original post by sugar-n-spice

Does anyone know when the North Koreans first gained nuclear capabilities?

I heard it was the late 1980s, when the Soviet Union started to break up.

Reply 352

CelticSymphony67

Original post by silverbolt

Agreed. That is what the US will probably do. If it were troops on either side, unless the US got reinforcements, they would lose.

Reply 353

HumanSupremacist

Original post by nikkoch

Posted from TSR Mobile

Where did you get the idea that NK would take ambassadors hostage? Gosh, that would be terrible - goodness knows what the Russians, British and Japanese etc would do then?

Original post by silverbolt

And don't forget those drones :sly:

Reply 354

username240699

Original post by silverbolt

What is tragic is the fallout damage that will ensue. And no neighbouring country is going to allow NK's rogue missile to stray into their territory

Reply 355

HumanSupremacist

Original post by pink pineapple

Tbh, I very much doubt it will be WW3

I agree.

I highly doubt that the North Korean situation would cause WW3 - on the other hand, unpredictable events could occur and rapidly escalate any crisis/conflict that may arise from the North Korean situation. For example (and we're taking a big leap here), other countries might craftily take advantage of a massive North Korean war (within the peninsula) to carry out their own interests...

Reply 356

fluttershy

Original post by NabRoh

Anyone who thinks that North Korea has the fire power to launch nuclear missiles all the way to USA needs to rethink aerodynamics.

Not sure where aerodynamics comes into it. It's entirely possible for a missile to be launched from any point on the planet and hit another point, even go right around the world and hit the launch site. It just need a rocket capable of reaching a high enough speed and altitude. Even a powerful enough gun could do it. Most ICBMs have a range that is capable of hitting most places on the planet. All the major nuclear powers could hit each other (and in the case of the UK and France with just submarines, they could still launch from home waters and hit any other nuclear armed country).

Reply 357

green.tea

Original post by pink pineapple

Tbh, I very much doubt it will be WW3

Don't forget NK has a defence pact with China.

Reply 358

kiss_me_now9

I'm really not sure what to think.

My parents seem to think the threat is a definite and real one - and as both have been in the Forces, they kinda do know what they're talking about (both were in during the Cold War).

On the other hand, the majority of the country is starving, famine and poverty is widespread and if invaded they'd probably last about two days before the Government was overthrown. It's the crazy fat dude with his finger on the button that is the worry I think.

Reply 359

advice_guru

Original post by kiss_me_now9

I would say that the threat is more prominent for South Korea, Japan and US Bases in the Far East.

The Thing is North Korea does have a few ICBMs that could hit the North American Continent, they also are said to have nuclear warheads. Now the hard part is combining the two and putting them on a missile. We really dont know if they have done it or not.

Now if they did detonate a nuclear bomb over the US, an EMP would be their best bet. But I highly doubt they would do this, as they would be wiped off the map by Nuclear Missiles from US submarines.

North Korea can do a fair amount of damage if they have to. They do have a very large army, decent technology, a decent navy and a fair air force. It wouldn't be another Iraq "walk in the park" war.

If things really did go bad, at the end of the day the US and NATO would win the war after a few weeks but not without the utter destruction of Seoul, Tokyo and other major cities around the area, not to mention the missiles they launch into the North American continent (but a lot would be intercepted).

My biggest fear is Seoul being trampled over by the North Korean army.